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City docs are better off

Updated on: 30 September,2009 08:25 AM IST |
Nolan Pinto |

Mass quitting will have a far greater impact in the villages, as a doctor is a one-man army there

Mass quitting will have a far greater impact in the villages, as a doctor is a one-man army there

The impact in the city will not be much when compared to the peripheral areas. Doctors there look after almost 21 government programmes that include malaria, dengue, polio and women and child welfare.

They not only look after health programmes but also the prevention of diseases and without them, it will be difficult.

The problem is that their pay scales are in the range of Rs 20,000 to 30,000. This amount is termed paltry when compared to the work that is done.

"In the peripheral areas, these doctors have to take all the responsibility individually," said a source from a government hospital. So, if something does go wrong, that one doctor will have to take the blame for everything.

This problem does not exist in the city where, he says, "the responsibility is shared among doctors".

He cites an example where if one person in the peripheral areas is infected with A(H1N1), the doctor has the responsibility not only to treat the patient but to also go to the locality and do the needful.

He goes on to say that it takes almost 8.5 years to become a doctor but the decision to resign is solely based on the pay disparity. "Those doctors, in fact, bear a bigger burden when compared to medical education doctors. Where is the equality?"

On the health secretary's statement that doctors are pestering the government like mosquitoes, he says, "He made an idiotic statement. Being in a responsible position, he should not be making statements like that."

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